Comments on: Chiropractic: A 100 year struggle from pseudoscience to legitimacy

By: Mah

Mah — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:51:36 +0000

Keith Kramer admits to Chiropractic’s questionable methods. He suggests changes on x-ray is an objective measurement. However, never have subluxations (or their corrections) been documented on x-rays. Multiple chiropractors looking at the same x-ray will find different locations for the mysterious subluxation. Surely they should agree on precisely where the subluxation exists on the x-ray. As long as many chiropractors deny the germ theory of disease, and oppose vaccinations (and/or claim autism is caused by vaccinations)they will remain merely one more discredited alternative method of healing. Physical therapists who do spinal manipulation therapy (minus subluxation theory) have demonstrated effectiveness in some kinds of muscle pain.

By: Keith Kramer DC

Keith Kramer DC — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:39:13 +0000

Mahlon,

I agree with the fact that in my profession there are some that tend to utilize questionable methods to earn a quick buck, however I think it is safe to say you could direct this to any profession. Chiropractic is simply releasing the bodys ability to heal itself. Its efficacy has and will continue to be measured by objective measurements such as range of motion, changes on x-ray, and tonal changes; just to name a few.

By: Sandy Chiropractic

Sandy Chiropractic — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:13:51 +0000

That’s awesome. I have found much more problems in my neighbourhood of back pain. This is very common when you always tends to relax if you are in a sitting job. whenever you are tensed you lie back on your back.

If you use your back too much then what will your back do??

By: Mahlon Wagner

Mahlon Wagner — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:35:22 +0000

Matthew Loop is a chiropractor, and understandably he chooses primarily to denigrate modern medicine using discredited and unsupported statements. First, the iatrogenic deaths reported in the 2000 study have been thoroughly examined (in the medical literature) and discounted. Mr. Loop seems unaware of any medical literature which does not support his biases. As another example, recently in books and scientific articles Prof E. Ernst has convincingly demonstrated that there are very few additional benefits from chiropractic treatment found in the scientific literature.
Most medical doctors and the medical profession as a whole are aware of their shortcomings and seems to be constantly striving to improve the profession and health care in general. In addition, it really isn’t logical to suggest that because there are flaws in one system, that automatically another system is superior. We must examine that second system itself to see its promises and also its flaws. And Mr. Loop seems intent on showing the legitimacy of chiropractic by attempting to find flaws in modern medicine.
If one visits Mr. Loop’s website one sees that he emphasizes “practice building” to other chiropractors. It is to be hoped that he would spend equal time on attempting to scientifically validate the basic claims of chiropractic.
And finally, by chance I managed to find many comments by Mr. Loop on Amazon where he writes glowing reports on many alt medicine books, and he seems to also have written an uncritical book about dubious cancer cures and treatments which has been severely criticized on Quackwatch.org. One wonders if Mr. Loop understands the usefulness of “critical thinking” and “healthy skepticism” when applied to chiropractic and to modern medicine.

By: Matthew Loop

Matthew Loop — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:56:09 +0000

I agree with much that has been stated in this writing and I respect Dr. Wagner’s opinion. However, I think the article could’ve been a bit more objective. If you are reviewing medical journals like JAMA or NEJM, you will consistently find bias and lack of natural therapies due to private interest funding.

The neurophysiology of chiropractic manipulation is scientifically explained very well by the work in “Principals of Neural Science” by Kandel and Schwartz. Dr. David Seamen and Frederick Carrick (http://www.carrickinstitute.org) also describe in-depth the central nervous system consequences of afferent stimuli into any joint-complex dysfunction. It’s a long way from just placebo, as biomechanical problems in the spine can be measured, corrected and alleviate the cause of many types of pain.

As far as the medical paranoia is concerned, the iatrogenic problems / deaths per year by modern medicine are staggering. JAMA (July 26, 2000;284(4):483-5) reports medical doctors are the 3rd leading cause of death, killing over 225,000 people annually:

- 12,000 — unnecessary surgery
- 7,000 — medication errors in hospitals
- 20,000 — other errors in hospitals
- 80,000 — infections in hospitals
- 106,000 — non-error, negative effects of drugs

I am not anti-medicine because I point out those facts. This is healthy skepticism and critically analytical thinking. Medicine functions incredibly in crisis situations but fails miserably in chronic disease treatment. Vaccines have actually taken credit for eradicating diseases that naturally stopped due to better sanitation practices occurring in the last hundred years.

One need only to examine the history of medicine here in the US to know why the disease rates in this country are so high. Treatment tends to be, for the most part, only suppression of symptoms. This is falsely advertised as health restoration when it is not the case.

The real danger of much of medicine is the arrogance and tunnel vision indoctrination that is bread in med school (mostly from older Physicians). The subconscious assumption is that any therapy that was important or scientific would’ve been taught to the MD in school. This doesn’t take into consideration of the conflict of interest associated with medical institutions and training, as British Medical Journal pointed out.

The AMA is a monopoly in every sense of the word and was even found guilty of unlawful conspiracy in restraint of trade “to contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession” in the Wilk case in the late 80’s. The Flexner Report of 1910, which established this “gatekeeper,” had nothing to do with science, just politics, greed, and money as history proves.

Nutritional advice and supplementation is not worthless, as you may want to take some time and review the American and European Journals of Clinical Nutrition and Biochemistry. Let’s not forget where many pharmaceutical active ingredients are derived from (plants, herbs, etc..).

In our office, we perform specific functional lab testing to determine exactly what is needed in what amounts. You speak of DC’s making a small fortune off of supplements but you fail to acknowledge the kick-backs, vacations, etc. MD’s receive at the end of the year from Big Pharma. Not to mention, the bulk of doctors in the field are trained by Pharm reps.

My office receives many referrals from medical doctors of all types because I show and explain to them scientifically how the treatments work. The results speak for themselves, that’s why we continue to get referrals.

By: Todd Brown

Todd Brown — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:03:08 +0000

I appreciate your article Mahlon.

You really did an excellent job researching this idea of quality chiropractors vs. the not-so-quality. Kudos on your work.

Todd Brown
http://MoreChiroPatients.com/blog